The present invention is particularly useful for motion picture theaters and it will be described with reference thereto; however, the invention has boarder applications and may be used in other combined visual and sound programs.
During recent years there has been substantial development work relating to improving the sound and special effects in a theater displaying a motion picture. These efforts have progressed from individually controlling the amplified volume of various speakers in synchronization with a moving film strip to controlling various special effects in a real-time sequence. Thus, an audience viewing the film strip will have a physical realization commensurate with the film being projected. Most of these systems have been somewhat rudimentary and have not obtained the desired physical sensation in both sound and special effects. In the prior copending application, there is described a system wherein a series of digital control signals are stored in a separate memory unit and a time code is recorded on a moving film strip to indicate the section of the film strip being projected. As this code is recognized, the memory unit outputs a series of selected signals which control the various channels connected to devices in the theater. This has been a substantial advance in the total packaging of the film wherein separate memory modules can be provided with a given motion picture to control the various sound devices throughout the theater to obtain a real-time sensation corresponding with the film strip being projected. The present invention relates to an improvement in this type of control system.